Lauriebelles boutique to wind down operations

A locally based boutique with more than 1 million online followers is winding down its operations.

Lauriebelles plans to close its storefront in Tea next month while launching a final collection online.

Owner Laurie Karlson started her women’s clothing boutique online in August 2013, working out of her basement, as a way to be able to spend more time with her two young sons.

“I feel like I’ve kind of entered a new season in life,” she said. “I’m retiring, and I use that term very loosely because I know I won’t be able to sit still long. It’s been a ride, and I’m super-thankful for it, but I’m kind of in this season of life where I just want some peace and time and just focus on what my next steps are.”

Her oldest son will be playing football at SDSU next year, and her youngest is a sophomore in high school and also involved in football.

“When I started this, my oldest wasn’t even in school yet, and now he’s leaving for college,” Karlson said. “It’s the best job — a football mom — and with any online-driven business, it’s just never turned off. I’m not mentally always here, and I’m ready for that brain space for a while.”

What she began as a home-based business took off in an era of boutique e-commerce largely driven by Facebook, where she has more than 500,000 followers. The brand has nearly that many combined between Instagram and TikTok too.

“It was amazing, but I always joke — because I’m eternally grateful — but I joke and say I didn’t sign up for this,” she said. “Once I got into it, I realized I’m pretty good at it, and it’s fun, and it becomes like this machine of what’s next, what’s next. And I think I thrived in that space for a long time but have been really gut-checking myself, and the most important thing has always been to be a mom, and I want to go back to just being a mom.”

Her store in Tea has been leased and will start a going-out-of-business sale today, with a closure in mid-July. Gift cards and store credits will be honored, and the store will operate under regular business hours. Customers have until July 13 to use the Tea store as a pickup spot for online orders, and that will be removed as an ordering option starting July 3.

A storefront in downtown Sioux Falls closed earlier this year.

An outlet store location in The Empire Mall will remain open because there’s a lease that continues into next year, Karlson said.

“So we will have that for the near future as an option for pickup in store, and it will another place to get really good deals on product,” she said.

A “farewell tour” collection will launch online soon, including many returning customer favorites. Karlson said there’s likely enough inventory to take the business through the summer and into fall. Gift cards and rewards will expire at the end of the season.

Customers have been “incredible” over the years, she added.

“Whether you’ve been here since the beginning or just recently found us — thank you for allowing me to be a small part of your lives,” she said in a message on social media. “Thank you for every order, every comment, every share, every kind message, every bit of support you’ve shown over the years.”

Karlson plans to keep her social media channels after briefly considering selling the business, including her Lily & Lottie brand — a line she designs and manufactures largely in India.

“We have worked tirelessly for years to build up our socials and customer base and all that, and I have some ideas I’m working on that that space would be extremely useful for,” she said. “So for me, it was more important to keep it for my next ventures. It’s the end of an era, but I’m excited for what’s next and just a little bit of peace.”

Reprinted with permission 

Sioux Falls Business